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'Perhaps humankind can't bear too much reality, but neither can it bear too much unreality, too much abuse of the truth.' (Saul Bellow)

'448 OMAR KHAYYÁM Omar had a personality; I, for better or worse, have none. In an hour I’ll have strayed from what I am at this moment; tomorrow I’ll have forgotten what I am today. Those who are who they are, like Omar, live in just one world, the external one. Those who aren’t who they are, like me, live not only in the external world but also in a diversified, ever-changing inner world. Try as we might, we could never have the same philosophy as Omar’s. I harbour in me, like unwanted souls, the very philosophies I criticize. Omar could reject them all, for they were all external to him, but I can’t reject them, because they’re me.' (F Pessoa)

'Mrs Glass looked over, abstractedly, at the blue bathmat, across the tiled floor. Zooey stood as still as possible, in order not to break her mood. "You can't live in the world with such strong likes and dislikes," Mrs Glass said to the bathmat, then turned again toward Zooey and gave him a long look, with very little, if any, morality in it. "Regardless of what you may think, young man," she said.' (JD Salinger)

'Art only begins where imitation ends.' (Oscar Wilde)

'"I like zooey's blog," Steiner would say, "It's the only internet site with a foyer. Saul and I often meet there, by the ethereal kiosk. The ice-cream is splendid."' (ThetisMercurio)

'What is the use of telling people repeatedly that the Society is not a sect and then behave as if it were one?' (Steiner)

'Laughter means distance. Where laughter is absent, madness begins. The moment one takes the world with complete seriousness one is potentially insane.' (Jens Bjørneboe)

'If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.' (Oscar Wilde)

'Let's act like sphinxes, however falsely, until we reach the point of no longer knowing who we are. For we are, in fact, false sphinxes, with no idea of what we are in reality. The only way to be in agreement with life is to disagree with ourselves. Absurdity is divine.' (F Pessoa)

the basics

the posts on this blog are written by alicia hamberg, with the guidance of mr dog, canineosophist, and with inspiration from rudolf steiner, anthroposophist, and the rest of our friends, people, dogs and various strange beings who hang out with us in this extraordinary ethereal kiosk

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how to contact the dead (and other events at the rudolf steiner house london)

I’ve been enjoying reading the spring program [pdf] of the Rudolf Steiner House in London, where the UK Anthroposophical Society has its base. Some alarming news first: ‘In Danger of Extinction: Our twelve senses and why we need to care for them’ (a few of these senses have already gone extinct in me, I’m afraid). That’s a lecture in March (there’s also a study group looking at the twelve senses and the scientific research behind — should be exciting, especially the science part). You will be thrilled to learn that Nick Thomas, who will give a lecture on Rudolf Steiner in the UK in February, is ‘engaged in research to develop a new spiritually based scientific paradigm.’ Dr John Lees — anthroposophic therapist and researcher at Leeds Uni — will talk about Steiner’s ‘contribution … to meeting the challenges of the future’:

As we enter the heart of the consciousness soul we will be able to unfold ever greater degrees of insight and love for each other. However, we will also face many challenges.

Insights and love, yes. Easy to talk about. Practice is another matter, not true? I’m not sure waldorf education or anthroposophic therapy is up for any big challenges, really.

The talk on karma and reincarnation on March 29 ought to worry UK citizens. Not so much because of the lecture itself but because of the presentation of the lecturer and even more her regular workplace:

Hazel Adams is an Art Therapist and Colour Light Therapist at Blackthorn Medical Centre, Maidstone, Kent, which is an NHS practice integrating anthroposophic medicine and therapies.

Perhaps some reincarnation therapy on the NHS could tempt you?

Brien Masters, director of the London Waldorf Teacher Training Seminar and author of several books on, e g, waldorf education, will speak about the karmic destiny of Hypatia:

Flayed alive and torn apart limb by limb by an incited mob, there could hardly be any death which contrasts more violently with the eminence and prestige which Hypatia had achieved and the awe in which she was held in her professional life. Her karmic background sheds amazing light on her fourth century incarnation.

The Rudolf Steiner House reassures us Masters knows what he’s talking about:

During his lifelong engagement with Anthroposophy, Brien Masters’ research has several times been directed towards Rudolf Steiner’s core mission: pursuing concrete examples of repeated earth lives. Although Steiner’s educational ideas have been the focus of his professional life a strong undercurrent on the theme of karma and reincarnation has persisted.

Steinerbooks tells us that Masters has ‘has acted as a consultant to government ministries’.

Another speaker traces anthroposophy back to 1250 AD. The lecture title is as pretentious as the topic: ‘Saving the World from Darkness’.

In January, there will be a workshop on temperaments, which is interesting from the viewpoint of waldorf education.

… just as there are four seasons of the year, four points of a compass, four kingdoms of nature and four elements so there are four temperaments. These are the Choleric, sanguine, Phlegmatic and melancholic. Each person we meet confronts us with his own temperament. In this interactive workshop we will become more familiar with these and how they relate to man’s being and destiny.

Another workshop tries to bridge the gap between the living and the dead. A rather ghoulish prospect. You can learn more about ‘how we can understand our contact between the living and the dead.’ There’s also a workshop on ‘The Secret Spirit of the Unborn Child’; the workshop description tells us that a ‘rising body of anecdotal evidence points to a human existence before incarnation.’ And it gets worse:

Sometimes too, in pregnancy, women have significant dreams or insights into the nature of the Incoming Soul, which may pave the way for a heightened attunement.

Despite the occasional nuttiness, the Rudolf Steiner House London seems like a nice place, quite eager to point out that all and everyone is welcome to many of the events (maybe that’s the British temperament, though — ha!).

3 thoughts on “how to contact the dead (and other events at the rudolf steiner house london)”

I just don’t understand the emphasis on and importance of previous incarnations. Curiosity? What does it have to do with living this life?

A friend of mine has some ‘alternate’ friends. They have an 8 month old child, a girl. The husband had a dream that his child was an Aboriginal boy in a previous life. And now the parents are researching Aboriginal culture so they can respond to the child’s previous incarnation.

Problem is, Aboriginal culture is so diverse, and dependent upon area, that if he didn’t get a fix on the time and location of this particular incarnation, he’s going to get the ‘attunement’ all wrong.

How can one possibly know the karmic background of Hypatia? The Akashic Records? But to what purpose? How is this knowledge going to advance the human condition? Why fill your brain with useless information?

If the child’s had 1000 incarnations, how is the parent supposed to: 1) know what they all are; and 2) attune to all of them? Or is it only the last one that matters?

Sometimes in pregnancy, you have the most bizarre and vivid dreams. Apparently due to the hormones.

This is dodgey and potentially psychologically damaging business. It’s enough of a challenge to respond to all of your child’s needs and your own needs, in this present moment, without confusing the issue with past life stuff.

‘I just don’t understand the emphasis on and importance of previous incarnations. Curiosity? What does it have to do with living this life?’

Because what happens in this life can, supposedly, be interpreted in the light of previous lives. What happened then explains what happens now. So, obviously, if reincarnation was real, then this knowledge about laws of karma and about someone’s previous earth lives, would not only be a question of curiousity but something with therapeutic — or other — implications.

Interesting story (the dream) — I fear that when people get such ideas, they react in ways that are potentially dangerous. For example, wanting to meet the child’s needs based on completely misguided notions about who the child is. Guessing on the ‘wrong’ Aboriginal culture may not me the biggest problem — the biggest problem is the assumption the child was this or that person in an earlier life… when there wasn’t even an earlier life, and much less an earlier life that somehow impacts on this life!

‘How can one possibly know the karmic background of Hypatia?’

Through clairvoyancy! And knowledge about karmic laws…! (Steiner’s Karmic Relationships books contain numerous actual examples of people and their earlier lives.)

Anthroposophists don’t believe the information is useless — they think it can be very useful. Even if not all of them engage in concrete speculations about real people, of course.